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RELEASE

joanne Trabucco

A damp wind moaned weakly as if hurt by the sharp angles of St.
Christopher's Church, shifted and blew strongly up the dingy street
~f tenements and abandoned warehouses. Joe wrapped his ragged
Jacket closer to his body and stood waiting patiently for the sparse
traffic to part before he crossed the street and paused in front of the
church, contemplating whether or not to enter.

The sky's tired tears were falling slowly, some of the drops making
large lopsided circles on the chipped pavement. He watched them
a.bstractedly and found himself counting how many fell into one sec-
tron of the broken walk. Abruptly, he shifted his gaze and his eyes
fe~l Upon a group of boys playing ball in the street, oblivious to the
ram and traffic.

He had been dimly aware of their shouts and the sharp crack of
ball hitting bat for some time, and he watched idly as one boy hit a
lon.g ball then heard his quick oath as he was counted out. Their
uillforms bore the name St. Christopher's CYO, and looked as if they
had been used for many seasons.

The man stood, a ragged, seedy figure, on the church steps and
~h:n quickly turned to enter. As he pushed open the heavy door a
fanH trace of incense brushed across his face and then swirled upward,
~s ~f trying to escape the cold air of outdoors. He walked toward the
inside and, almost unconsciously, dipped his fingers in the holy water
and made a sign of the cross as he came into the church itself. A
reverent hush layover the quiet interior and he slipped silently into
a back pew and glanced softly about him.

The deep red, blue and gold of the stained glass windows diffused
gentle shafts of color and the meek light from the lead-colored sky of
outdoors cast an unearthly half light on the one woman in the church.
A black shawl, vaguely reminiscent of old-world piety, was draped
Over her head and a worn rosary was clasped in gnarled hands as she
silently prayed.

High arches overhead carried his eyes upward until he could
barely see the dim outlines of curved wood and masonry. A hundred
unbidden thoughts came into his mind and he saw his wife Mary and
their son, poor, hungry, and cold in their small apartment. And me
without a job, he thought bleakly. He shook his head to clear out

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